Funology (Usability Studies)

*There were many readings for this week – mostly from Funology: From Usability to Enjoyment – so I’m trying to make brief comments on them all. Overall though, the topic of HCI and usability is a new field for me so I am very interested in this area. I can see these methods being used in my long term research direction.

Evaluating synthetic actors, Sandy Louchart and Ruth Aylett1

We probably should not have run the actual downloadable source code/demo and see experience the results directly. I think the class comments are accurate. If the expression modalities of your system are not tightly a part of the underlining AI “emotion”-driven architecture, then why not create an emotion driven branching story instead? The end user may not perceive any difference otherwise with the current setup. I can see the logic from a researcher perspective that it is the industry role to fill this architecture with the appropriate content/expression but I can also see why industry is still asking why bother?
I also agree that the existing industry approach of building narrative & characters is in opposition to an academic agenda where rolling out topic specific scholarly work is the norm. In this field in particular, it seems wise to address implications for both parties when interrogating your own contribution. This will continue to be an ongoing challenge in the field.

Funology: From Usability to Enjoyment

User Empowerment

Relating it back to Fear Not, Jacob Nielson has a great quote “…despite the designer’s no doubt sincere attempt to invoke positive emotions. A user’s personal experience trumps anything the designer is trying to communicate”
I like the idea to always keep the end user in mind – but I am also unclear the extent purely qualitative methods of analysis (and I don’t mean speed ethnography) acts as a counterbalance to HCI research. Nielson says “you cannot rely on simple, literal interpretations of users’ statements” which seems to go against the philosophy of solid qualitative research. This also reminds me of Purpura’s “Overview of Quantitative Methods in Design Research” article where small usability like tests are applied to reduce the complexity brought forth by qualitative methods. My fear is that when qualitative methods are not used, HCI questions and their results may be too narrow in scope, misguided or not well defined.

Measuring Emotion: Development and application of an instrument to measure emotional responses to products

Aside from indirect at best physiological measurement devices as indicators of emotional response, I had some issues with this article. First this reminds me of my old office environment where we would send coworkers animated “international” style emoticons using MSN, say from Vietnam or China . We would find it hilarious to send these expressive messages except we had no clue what the emote actually meant. CHECK OUT THIS LINK TO SEE EXAMPLES OF WHAT I MEAN…

The emote abstraction really does matter which begs to what extent subtle cultural differences are really ingrained even in simple emotive descriptions. It would be interesting (for westerners) to guess what these emoticons mean and see which ones we get right if any…

I’m not sure how this approach would apply to real time interactivity and can see reasons why the current animated approach would fail. However regarding a simple feedback exchange, I can see how the idea of emoting (without animation) could better inform the underlining architecture especially in the instances when it’s appraisal fails. If the player is unhappy – then perhaps a change is warranted.

That’s Entertainment!

This article is so dated; I can barely remember what the web was like before videos. I think it’s odd they are marketing to a (culturally broad) TV centric crowd except the content they end up showing is slide show based. Furthermore the results suggest it is the content presented that is a high determinant the of entertainment value and less audience control of the experience. This kind of defeats the purpose of the study for me since different groups would prefer to see content that interests them.

Designing for Fun: User Testing Case Studies

In the context of fine tuning and play testing existing [commercial] game mechanics, the case studies presented serve its purpose well enough. However In regards to interactive story or emerging modes of play, I feel the existing sentiment that it is “impossible to look to the user to tell you how to design a game” is increasingly flawed. Gamers are increasingly modding and customizing their own game experiences beyond the developer expectations (see Portal accolades). Development studios would be wise to include as much qualitative feedback as they can tolerate.

Playing Games in the Emotional Space

I know the class bashed this one, but there is value beyond the success or failure of the loosely constructed IF ONLY methodology (which is described as users willing suspension of disbelief to enter the emotional space and actively act and react within it) . I see this example as an exploration of user defined symbolic investment within the simple rules of a game. The authors are not prescribing any exogenous story and allow players to generate and embed presence and their own affective meanings in tangible objects. This approach can be definitely more challenging for some with unclear rewards. I do agree there could be problems for more advanced systems to decipher measurable outcomes.

Building Narrative Experiences for Children Through Real Time Media Manipulation: POGO

We previously talked about systems used within an educational setting and how they are subject to be torn apart about by existing pedagogical learning goals (James Gee). The work presented here shows that robust systems must meet these requirements AND allow for informal learning opportunities to be successful in a class setting. In POGO the developers definitely took a tangible modular and multimodal approach for kids to become involved in creating their own stories. If I was a kid I would absolutely love this…all i had was a lightbright:( …I feel so old.

I also wanted to say this “creative imagination” approach is strikingly similar to creative drama as a formal process for storytelling and learning. The authors of POGO even mention the projectors can be used to shine on the kids themselves thus further immersing them into their own creations.

Games in Training, Education & Health

I wanted to attach my presentation on games and health before I forgot.

I’m very interested in James Gee’s What Video Games have to teach us about learning and literacy approach to games for education as a justification for their efficacy. However, as we discussed in class the early adopters in educational (and health) domains are generally resistant to the endogenous potential of games. The fields are obviously using the underlining technologies, but to suit their own agendas (theories of gameplay are still emerging). It is a natural start and I don’t blame them but I am now feeling my earlier research interests in mental health need fine tuning. This semester I’ve shelved the ideas and will focus on solid collaborations as a starting point.

I have already commented on Aylett, Vala, Sequeira, Paiva. FearNot!–An Emergent Narrative Approach to Virtual Dramas for Anti-bullying Education in last semesters directed readings course and I am pasting them here:

There are certain aspects of FearNot! that could have benefited from the works discussed primarily in visual resentation. Due to the fact that the system was built on top of a totally scripted story, much of the content reuse as not well suited to this emergent approach and had a negative immersive effect. Some items had to be removed entirely like all dialogue, and animated camera presets. This project also highlights the need for a [procedural] believable character approach in animation and gesture which is an ongoing field of research. The logical next step for a system such as FearNot! would be to create the emergent narrative using one of the current approaches – however the cost of implementation, and ease of authorship for outside users will be more of a concern. On a side note, there are many educational spin off projects incorporating the uses of this technology in an augmented/tangible domain such as performances as this is perhaps better suited to a child’s mode of learning through play.

Lastly Regarding Swartout, W. et al. Toward the Holodeck: Integrating Graphics, Sound, Character, and Story, no new comments other than the class discussion. Well just one, While I was at ICT this was definitely their show piece and in retrospect I think you do need to make broad and integrated projects to portray a vision… which reminds me of the OZ project. For demonstration purposes the project was presented well to audiences yet in all practicality, there were some serious perceptual holes. Now ICT seems to be emphasising virtual humans which I am glad to hear.

Pervasive Games

Here is a link to my class presentation on the Augmented/Mixed reality component of Pervasive Gaming. Specifically I look at how games that are virtual (computer games) can become more real (embodied) and how the real world can be made more virtual. Michael Nixon also presented pervasive games from the narrative perspective which is also very interesting.

This topic is relating more to my research efforts in the Computational Poetic- Metactreation: Machines Endowed with Creative Behavior course – where emergent agent behavior can become more situated into our everyday spaces. There is no real narrative in this project, more of an experiment how game methodologies can reinforce existing space.

I am pasting two paragraphs from this project discussing Architectural and Virtual Spaces into this blog because I think it related well to this topic.

Architecturally, the physical (built) environment functions as a place to support everyday human activities in living, education, and work. Architects design and program spaces for a physical world with a generalized user model in this world. Circulation places of human movement such as the SFU Surrey Mezzanine must support a variety of user goals. Architects rarely have the resources or incentive to convert their designs (during the design process or after project completion) into game development scenarios with a different user model. Relatively speaking, built spaces remain fixed in intended user activity and this is often a broad notion to meet the needs of a variety of present or future users.

Conversely, the individualized user understanding of activity within a virtual space is a design model characteristic of game design development. Developers often present a realistically depicted, engaging, and imaginative user experience although it is distinctly separated from his or her physical environment. Additionally, autonomous characters are increasing utilized to facilitate this individualized game play experience. Unlike architects, game developers fine tune the precise user experience to maximize immersion through rigorous prototyping. The drawback is game environments are developed and distributed for an audience that is not commonly situated physically. Augmented gaming is a design opportunity that has yet to be fully addressed in the research community.

Finally finished HalfLife2 – thoughts

All this talk about character and gesture- what perfect timing for me to finish HalfLife2.

Somehow I managed to keep playing HalfLife2 and -sorry- it wasn’t because of the compelling character AI interaction (or lack-thereof). The NPC characters were expressive in speech and gestural behavior but the interaction with them felt like a real-time cut scene and yet another side effect of the scripted “Special-Case” game space.

No, quite simply it was the “Spatial- Story” that got me hooked. HalfLife 2 is a great example where level designers have gone to such lengths to present an expansive photo-realistic apocalyptic future city when in fact, every instant you’re being corralled and lead down a single path. So I followed, I wanted to see more of these compelling environments which is my architecture soft spot getting the better of me. The FPS grinding action felt repetitive although emergent gameplay was most visible in fighting.

I say to the industry – game environments have surpassed the uncanny valley. It is now time to place the emphasis back on player-character interaction…while you’re at it fund my research:)

Character Research

Improv: A System for Scripting Interactive Actors in Virtual Worlds – Ken Perlin / Athomas Goldberg

I appreciate Perlin’s and Goldberg’s user perception validation for Scripting Interactive Actors. Specifically, the Animation and Behavior engines allowed fine or broad strokes for the artist to define natural looking characters. The key understanding was that viewers do not perceive the mechanism itself, rather they perceive some presentation of the motion it produces (Perlin noise). The intention is not only a research endeavor but also on its application (and artist workflows) this area of development can foster. The Metaverse mentality was a little premature back then and perhaps more realizable today in Second Life, Klima’s “the music lounge”, and others that resonates with aspects of this research.

The EMOTE Model for Effort and Shape – Diane Chi, Monica Costa, Liwei Zhao, Norman Badler

There is a reason why agents look and behave artificially and this work clearly articulates the complexity of gesture alone. Using McNeil’s approach and Laban Movement Analysis as possible gestural grammars, it is quite possible to say that gesture and agent EMBODYMENT has its own expressive language layered on top of communicative speech acts. As with any language there is an inherent and agreed upon symbolic meaning these grammars represent as well as arbitrary or ambiguous meanings. This could occur especially in the “blended” or “serial” approach of gesture -what happens if an agent has an unrelenting nervous “tick” but is also trying to give detailed directions?
This paper seems to present intentional movements well but what about the unintentional?

For me this works resonates with previous AI work on believable and emotional characters – except embodied expression is highlighted. This paper does not seem to address physically based and more “ragdoll” (environmental) approaches which can also dictate movement above skeletal constraints. Lastly, A deconstructive authoring approach is necessary which is counter intuitive to traditional character animation techniques.

Lifelike Gesture Synthesis and Timing for Conversational Agents – Ipke Wachsmuth, Stefan Kopp

Continuing on with the notion of a language of embodiment, to what extent this language does and does not coincide with spoken language is another layer of subtlety. Kopp’s work specifically in hand gesture tied to specific temporal speech acts is one direct approach and commonality between languages, but what happens when there is incongruence in mapping? For example what happens if a character says she is listening when her body language is clearly saying she isn’t? Say one thing and do another is a common Murphy law. Facial expression is another example, someone can have an entirely demur expression when in fact she is being deceitful. There is clearly more work needed in this area and I can understand why the games industry is content to let animators emphasize scripting these complex behaviors.

From Linear to Interactive Animation: How Autonomous Characters Change the Process and Product of Animating – Bill Tomlinson

This work is broad but touches on issues discussed previously in the readings. The use of Alphawolf is an excellent example how collaborative teamwork and procedural approaches can create viscerally engaging emergent experiences. However the animalistic expressive nature of wolfs fails to address the nuanced nature and layering of meaning in gesture and language exemplified in human communication. Self indulgent we are as humans, is it no surprise the majority of our work is reflectively about us? Our heritage is ingrained millennia of theater, and more recently film and television portrayals of humanity. Can we really escape it? Tomlinson does provide insight into key differences in linear and interactive mediums of expression. The gem I found was in the importance of “technical artistry” in collaborative teams. The breadth and depth of desired character expression has to make technical trade-offs and creative-calls.

Architecture for Action, Emotion, and Social Behavior -Joseph Bates

Please see my final paper for the Directed Reading in interactive Narrative Technologies where I discuss the OZ project in further detail.

Anticipatory AI and Compelling Characters – Bruce Blumberg

You have to crawl before you learn to walk. This is not in any way diminishing the importance of “low level” anticipatory AI as the foundational starting point for more complex agent emotional and knowledge states. Let me repeat, Alphawolf is a fantastic example. I wonder how real dogs react to Alphawolf, this would be a great dog friend when you’re away at work by the way… Anyways connecting this research back into a humanistic domain seems like the logical next step which reveals new questions: how does spoken language reinforce a gestural language? How can we incorporate subtleties of character emotion, goals, moods, plans into compelling and seamless action?  How can we incorporate multiple layers of control (micro-meso-macro) characteristic of Perlin’s/Goldberg’s work?

Interdisciplinary Research Approach: Computational Poetics

This is very preliminary, but this diagram is helping me to conceptualize my research goals. Lets see how long this lasts…

Abstract – Another Updated Study Design

This abstract was submitted to the UBC Canadian Game Studies Association 2008 Conference. We will see what happens to it…It is a slimmed down/ cleaned up design that focuses primarily on the participant lived expereince of Facade. This would become a preliminary step/reference point that a future study on process drama techniques would address.

A Phenomenological Study on User Affect for Façade

David Milam, Magy Seif El-Nasr, Ron Wakkary

Simon Fraser University

What is the player experience of the interactive drama game Façade and how is it informed by AI-based techniques in interactive entertainment?

The use of intelligent narrative technologies in computer games has received increased attention by developers and players through the release of several prototypes. The game Façade is one such example of how drama management, multi NPC management, and player interactivity results in stories that are dynamic and generative. Although many technical publications address in detail how Façade and similar system-architectures are developed, there has been little understanding of how the players themselves understand and internalize their experiences of the stories generated. As non-technical audiences have the opportunity to play and reflect on Façade, the authors explore in this phenomenological study the meaning that players ascribe to their experience. Phenomenological methods of inquiry based on Moustakas’s approach are used as a guide for analysis. Based on preliminary trials, core themes have emerged such as player strategies, feedback, and immersion. The experience of playing and replaying includes “ah-ha” moments and re-conceptualization of character. The paper will further analyze and validate these experiences. The essence of the players’ experiences will be discussed to shed light on their internalization of the narrative. The authors hope to highlight implications on player affect for current and future developments in AI-based techniques in interactive entertainment.

Updated Study Design

This is a quick update for my study, A Qualitative study on Creative Drama in emergent games: a survey on user affect for Façade. The latest Study design document is here:

4 people have participated in my prototype study. One pair played normally – the other pair played within a creative drama framework. Both groups were interviewed at the end. Needles to say I am learning a lot how a study is and is not run. I feel it may be too complicated and need to trim it down – if possible.

The main question – or criticism – I have at the moment is that this study is phenomenological in nature, yet the phenomenon itself is experimental (as in I am creating an artificial setting).

First person single-player games are not normally associated with talk-aloud’s and bracketing creative drama into the Facade expereince may seem contrived. How as a researcher do I remain impartial to participants when situating process drama around Facade?

Lastly, Kleenex testing in games sees users as disposable to better focus on the game flaws, yet in phenomenology, as a researcher I need to establish a rapport with my participants to gain entry into their particular views. This seems at odds and will probably require more fine tuning.

More to come soon…preliminary results.

Narrative Research: The Holodeck

Theory & Design of Games: Reflection Journal 6

This post is a little late and will be short. Fortunately for me many of the readings in AI techniques in games (El-Nasr, Mateas, M. and A. Stern, Szilas, and Cavazza) has been previously discussed in my survey paper last semester. The direct link is here.

The new reading was Cavazza, Aylett, Dautenhahn, et. Al. Interactive Storytelling in Virtual Environments: Building the Holodeck.

The only comment I have is does this approach for interactive storytelling make sense for the user(s)? It sounds like this system developed by Cavazza is developed– because it simply can, but how well does this paradigm mesh for users? What are ways we can evaluate this approach on existing methods for acting & inquiry.

This article to me is very broad and I’m not sure the 3 big questions are fully addressed:

• What is the role of an interactive story Director (offstage)
• What is a meaningful exchange with characters?
• What is object manipulation/action constraints on the system – how does it affect character goals?

After a while this approach feels more like a sandbox of features…where Cavazza is enacting Special Case not Systemic Design – I am not convinced there is enough support users will find this model of play enjoyable. In one of Cavazza’s later works modeled on situation comedy – the answer to me is still unclear. Where is user testing to support the creation of these features??

Process of Design, Case Studies

Theory & Design of Games: Reflection Journal 5 

There is so much to say in the readings, I cant help but extract bits relevant to my research. If you want to jump directly to my qualitative study blog entry or the extended study design document.

Christopher Ireland, Qualitative Methods: From Boring to Brilliant

I admire Ireland’s emphasis on participatory design methods inclusive of the user and intend to use her Dyad focus group setup specifically in my own qualitative study pursuit. This idea was also brushed upon in the Design Research text by Will Wright in “kleenex testing”

Ireland also brings up the notion of digital ethnography and ethno-futurism and I am curios if this idea could be extended further into the realm of digital phenomenology and phenomenon-futurism? Especially when it comes to interactive storytelling or augmented real/virtual hybrids.

Tim Plowman, Ethnography and Critical Design Practice

Plowman’s text in many ways parallels the SIAT Qualitative Methods course that I’m also taking this semester. The central components of ethnographic research done and communicated well are similar to my current pursuit in phenomenology. The similarities mentioned in this text include analytic rigor, the thick description, and empathetic inquiry.

As an “intellectual leverage” the importance of empathy is especially relevant in my pursuits where “the ethnographer obtains deeper insight into the desires, beliefs, habits, motivations and understandings of behavior in a given context”. This inherently constructivist approach also makes the research question that much more challenging to decode and decipher.

Brenda Laurel, DEMO Design Improvisation – Ethnography Meets Theater

Where Plowman spoke of “situatedness” through which designed artifacts [the products of design] derive their meaning, for Laurel, it is the performative self [who we are] that is highly situated. Theatrical and improvisational techniques have a reverse effect where the context is shaping human interaction. Thus it is the designer’s goal to enable people to perform with greater pleasure, ease, or agency.

This position strongly resonates in my own research because I am infusing theatrical inspired techniques (process drama) into a better user experience for interactive narrative applications. Instead of Laurels embodied human enactment, I seek to replicate this sense of agency within the simulated game environment. My hypothesis is that when players have the opportunity to iteratively plan, play and reflect in accordance to the situation presented, they can more strongly identify with their character.

Stacey Purpura, Overview of Quantitative Methods in Design Research

Quantitative Methods have their place in design research too. If I was presently in a more industry centric position (thank goodness I’m not anymore) this article would be more useful as it covers quantitative testing across all phases of the process (concept, feature, usability, validation, & segmentation). In many ways quantitative testing is refreshing since its goal is to REDUCE complexity which qualitative research intentionally and blatantly ignores. Sometimes you just want the cold hard facts to let you know you’re on the right tracks.

The challenge of course it that the extraction of objective data can potentially limit your question. In many ways a mixed method approach can cover each other flaws nicely in breadth and depth through triangulation of sources. I hope to utilize these approaches more in the semesters to come – stay tuned!

Rob Tow, Strategy, Tactics and Heuristics for Research

Although Tow’s authoritative writing style is obfuscated by military references, the basic premise seems similar to Creswell’s “Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design”. Tow’s notion of grand strategy, strategies, and tactics can map to Creswell’s Central Question, Issue sub-questions, and procedural sub-questions. For both authors, the granular nature of tactics/procedural sub-questions is where the data collection or field of activity occurs and is exchanged. But what to do with this information is dependent on the more encompassing or unifying questions.

Nathan Shederoff, Research Methods for Designing Effective Experiences

The Design of effective experience is an elusive target – take play and games for starters. Shederoff emphasizes very experimental research avenues that address “fundamental user needs such as fulfillment of desire, pleasure and enhanced capability”. This very much relates to my qualitative study since interactive narrative is precisely the effective experience we are trying to understand.

Case in point, at the Artificial Intelligence conference in interactive narrative Technologies, a full half day session was included on theatrical improvisation strategies. How thrilling it was to see computer scientists learning basic improvisational techniques to capture attention and perhaps tell a story .

Experimental methods are one approach as Shederoff reveals – but perhaps a higher risk in terms of validation. I feel interdisciplinary methods are perhaps better suited to addressing these kinds of problems since multiple [established] domains of knowledge attempt to find a common ground.

Shederoff continues on a great closing point in connecting with your audience: “we can’t be blind to human social contexts when applying technology to the solving of problems…because technologies are rarely the important part of the solution”.

Eric Zimmerman, Play as Research

The iterative design cycle: Analyze – Design – Test, such a mantra for this field of research. In particular, Zimmerman’s description of the evolutionary aspect of a game that emerges from the muck to become an extraordinary contribution. The questions that emerge from the process of design is a strategy that I aim to emulate in my own research.

I have much to learn from his practices and already partially experienced them first hand in the Advanced Game Design Course. I hope to continue sketching and prototyping ideas soon in the SIAT gamelab. In the mean time see my previous blog post on my study design. The extracted results from this study “A Qualitative study on Creative Drama in emergent games: a survey on user affect for Façade” will be key insights into the creation of better experiences for users.